401K / Retirement Calculator
Project your 401K balance at retirement, including employer match and annual raises. See year-by-year growth.
Projection
Balance at retirement
$0
You contribute
$0
Employer match
$0
Investment growth
$0
Years invested
0
How employer match works
Most employers offer some form of 401K match — they put in money when you do. The two numbers you need are the match rate (how many cents per dollar you contribute) and the cap (how much of your salary the match applies to).
The common "100% match up to 4% of salary" means: if you contribute at least 4% of your salary, your employer adds another 4% (matching every dollar of your contribution). If you contribute less than 4%, you leave free money on the table. Always contribute at least up to the full match — it's an immediate 100% return.
The formula
This calculator compounds annually (end-of-year contributions). Real plans contribute every paycheck, so actual balances run very slightly higher — usually less than 1% difference over 30 years.
FAQ
What return rate should I use?
The S&P 500's long-term average is roughly 10% nominal / 7% real. A balanced (60/40) portfolio averages 7–8% nominal. Be conservative: 6–7% for planning gives you slack.
What's the catch-up contribution?
If you're 50+, you can contribute an extra $7,500/yr above the standard limit. This calculator doesn't model that explicitly — bump your contribution % up to reflect it.
Does the calculator account for inflation?
No — the result is in nominal dollars. To see today's purchasing power, plug in your expected real return (subtract inflation, ~3% historically).